Balwa follows Raja to Tihar Jail

Published: Friday, February 18, 2011, 16:00 [IST]

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New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) Swan Telecom promoter ShahidUsman Balwa, arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2Gspectrum scam along with former Telecom Minister A Raja, wastoday sent to Tihar Jail after a Delhi court remanded him injudicial custody.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini remanded Balwa in judicialcustody a day after Raja was sent to Tihar Jail till March 3.

The Dynamix Balwas (DB) group managing director wasproduced in court following expiry of his four-day CBIcustody. The court took into account CBI counsel Akhilesh''ssubmission that he is no longer required for interrogation buthe may be remanded in judicial custody as the probe into thecase is not yet complete.

The court also directed Tihar authorities to considerBalwa''s plea to have home-made food and special orthopaedicmattress and pillows in jail as per the relevant rules afterhis counsel pleaded for special privilege for his clientsaying he suffered from acute back pain.

Balwa was arrested on February 8 in Mumbai and hadbeen flown to Delhi on a transit remand. He was the fourthperson to be arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2Gspectrum allocation scam, which, as per the CBI, has caused apecuniary loss of Rs 22,000 crore to the state exchequer.

Raja, who was arrested on Feb 2 for his alleged rolein the scam, is alleged to have manipulated rules to favoursome telecom companies including Swan Telecom and UnitechPrivate Limited in allocation of spectrum at throwaway prices.

Raja was arrested along with former Telecom SecretarySiddharth Behura and his former personal secretary R KChandolia, who were sent to Tihar Jail on Feb 8.

The CBI had also questioned ADAG chairman Anil Ambanion Wednesday at its headquarters, confronting him with Rajaand Balwa, amid allegations that his group received favoursfrom Raja in getting dual technology and a role for RelianceTelecom in promoting Swan Telecom.

Ambani is believed to have clarified to the CBI"about the ongoing issues" related to the possible role ofReliance Telecom Limited (RTL), a subsidiary of ADAG, in Swan.